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IOWA EXCLUSIVE—KING HOLDS BIG LEAD IN GOP SENATE PRIMARY: Steve King is the heavy, early favorite for the Republican nomination if he runs. Citizens United Political Victory Fund commissioned a poll from Wenzel Strategies over the weekend showing the congressman from northwest Iowa at the top of an eight-candidate field and ahead of his next-closest challenger, Rep. Tom Latham, by 8 points (43-35) in a head-to-head matchup among likely GOP primary voters. King is viewed favorably by 67 percent of this sample, and unfavorably by only 16 percent. Latham has a similar 65/14 fav/unfav. Behind King and Latham in the wide-open ballot test, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds pulled third with 10 percent and Family Leader President Bob Vander Plaats got fourth with 9 percent. Rounding out the bottom of the pack were Brad Zaun, Bill Northey, Matt Schultz and David Vaudt. Citizen United’s affiliated PAC has supported King, Latham and Zaun in past cycles. Fritz Wenzel’s memo: http://goo.gl/yVRC5 8-pages of toplines: http://goo.gl/3Atzb

SNEAK PEEK – DCCC HITS CANTOR ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT: On the day of his speech at AEI about the future of the House Republican Party, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is going after House Majority Leader Eric Cantor for helping block the Violence Against Women Act in the House. “No matter how much the Tea Party House Republicans try to rebrand their party, the fact remains: They are still the party that is blocking resources to prevent domestic violence,” said Emily Bittner of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “For years, the Violence Against Women Act enjoyed broad, bipartisan support – until the Tea Party War on Women.” Watch the video: http://youtu.be/dSIc4UJRqUE

ONLY IN SCORE—ANDY CARD MAY RUN FOR SENATE IN 2014: Bush 43’s Chief of Staff told POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney yesterday that he’s contractually obligated to fulfill his duties as acting dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M until August. But the longtime Bay State resident, who said he still maintains a home in Holbrook, Mass., wouldn’t rule out a bid for a full term in 2014, depending on who is elected in the June 25 special election to succeed John Kerry. “I wouldn’t even cross that bridge until I find out what happens in the special,” he said by phone. He identified Bill Weld and Richard Tisei as strong potential candidates – both of whom took themselves out of the race in recent days. He also named Bob Marsh, who worked as an aide to Card in the Department of Transportation under Bush 41.

IS BUSH GETTING A SECOND LOOK? Card considered running in a 2010 special election to fill the vacancy created by the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy, but he bowed out and paved the way for Scott Brown to surge to an unexpected win. At the time, Card passed on a run in part, he says, because his ties to Bush sullied his reputation with Massachusetts voters. Now, though, he says enough time has passed that voters may not be as quick to prejudge him. “Time usually gives people better perspective. There’s been significant time,” he said. “I’m proudly associated with President Bush. I don’t run away from it at all.”

STRATEGY GROUP FOR MEDIA EXPANDS: Alex Burns gets an exclusive on an expansion at the firm that represented GOP candidates like Todd Akin and Rand Paul. “The Ohio-based Strategy Group for Media, already a large-scale TV firm, is branching out into other fields of political consulting by acquiring two other vendors: the Missouri-based research company John Hancock & Associates, and the voter contact firm Front Porch Strategies,” he writes. “The companies will relaunch as part of the Strategy Group family with new names: the Strategy Group for Research and the Strategy Group for Phones. The SGM umbrella will also include a digital branch, Strategy Group for New Media.” http://politi.co/VGhUbU

TRANSITIONS – TRAVIS LOWE TO THREE POINT MEDIA: DCCC veteran Travis Lowe will join the Democratic firm Three Point Media, the firm will announce this morning. Lowe directed the DCCC’s independent expenditure program in 2012 and served as the committee’s campaign director before that.

As Republicans get desperate for a candidate in Massachusetts, Cuccinelli bucks McDonnell on transportation and Christie gets some Democrats to come on board, here’s POLITICO’s Morning Score: your guide to the permanent campaign.

LATEST ON MASSACHUSETTS—REPUBLICANS SEE THE WRITING ON THE WALL: Tagg Romney, Kerry Healey and Bill Weld each announced yesterday that they will not seek the Republican nomination in the special election for Senate in the wake of Scott Brown’s Friday statement that he will sit this race out. It’s increasingly likely that the GOP will get stuck with a non-viable candidate in a long-shot race. Remember that Brown’s 2010 victory was very much an aberration. This increases the stakes of the April 30 Democratic primary between two congressmen: establishment favorite Ed Markey and labor favorite Stephen Lynch. http://goo.gl/VP54L

VIRGINIA GOVERNOR– BOLLING RIPS CUCCINELLI BOOK: Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, who decided not to run against Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli for the GOP nomination, had some pretty harsh criticism for Cuccinelli and his forthcoming book – feeding the speculation about whether Bolling will launch his own independent bid for governor. Bolling said the book, “The Last Line of Defense,” gives Virginia voters a bad impression of the Republican Party. “It’s like he’s written off trying to reach mainstream voters,” Bolling told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Bolling, who met with Cuccinelli in late January, has not endorsed the GOP candidate and will make up his mind in the coming weeks about his own potential candidacy. http://bit.ly/USSe9C

CUCCINELLI OPPOSES MCDONNELL ON TRANSPORTATION PLAN: The GOP gubernatorial nominee is putting himself at odds with GOP Gov. McDonnell on the governor’s transportation plan, which would eliminate the state gas tax but increase the sales tax. Cuccinelli is throwing his support behind an alternate plan, sponsored by Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Steve Newman, that would not raise the sales tax but would instead convert the state gas tax to a sales tax that could rise along with inflation. http://bit.ly/11LYKyp

MORE FROM VIRGINIA – VOTER ID LAW DELAYED UNTIL 2014: Bolling, the tie vote in the Virginia State Senate, sided with Democrats on legislation that would delay implementation of the state’s stricter new voter ID requirements. The legislation, which eliminates utility bills and a handful of other documents as acceptable forms of ID at the polls, would keep those requirements from taking effect until July 2014 – after the state’s gubernatorial and legislative elections this November. http://bit.ly/USRUYj

NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR – DEMS FOR CHRISTIE? The New Jersey governor, who so far has drawn only one Democratic challenger in his reelection bid and has said he’s aiming to hit the 50-percent mark on Election Day, got an endorsement from across the aisle this weekend. The Democratic mayor and eight-person city council in Harrison, N.J., threw their support behind Christie. "I feel he wants to work with the Democrats for what’s best for New Jersey," said Raymond McDonough, the town’s mayor. "I honestly believe that." While it’s a low-level set of endorsements within the state – state Sen. Barbara Buono, the presumptive Democratic nominee – has received the backing of the lion’s share of state and national Democrats – it’s still a sign that Christie has crossover appeal to Democrats within the state. http://bit.ly/USUFZN

LOS ANGELES MAYOR – REPUBLICANS PIN HOPES ON JAMES: The New York Times is out with a profile of Kevin James, the conservative talk show host who’s running for mayor in Los Angeles. “‘He is from central casting about what a future Republican candidate can look like in an urban or blue state and win,’ [James adviser John] Weaver said. ‘It’s important for the party. We have not done well nationally since we stopped winning in California.’ …In theory, this is as good a place as any to test-drive new Republican appeals. States do not get much bluer than California, in no small part because of the increase in the numbers of Latinos and Asian-Americans who are voting Democratic. Even a partial victory by Mr. James could be instructive for Republicans, not to mention a tonic for a party that needs one.” http://nyti.ms/USZJNQ

2014 NEWS—

DEMS LOOK TO REPEAT ’12 LATINO SUCCESSES IN ’14: Alex Isenstadt looks today at how Democrats are planning to keep Latino turnout in the midterms high – unlike in 2010, when low turnout among minorities doomed Democrats in many key races. “With 17 seats separating them from the House majority, Democrats are now taking a hard look at Republican-held districts with high populations of Hispanics in search of opportunities. Israel said the districts of Reps. David Valadao and Gary Miller of California, Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida and Mike Coffman of Colorado are among the top targets. In all four districts, Hispanics make up more than 20 percent of the electorate.” http://politi.co/11NWO8C

GALLUP found Obama’s approval rating with Latinos at 70 percent in a tracking poll earlier this week. http://bit.ly/USXj1r

THE LANDSCAPE – CONSERVATIVES BASH NEW GOP MONEY GROUP: Prominent conservatives in the Republican Party are coming out against the Conservative Victory Project, a Karl Rove-backed group aimed at recruiting and supporting more electable GOP candidates in 2014. The group, headed by American Crossroads president Steven Law, is being billed as a direct a response to the 2012 elections in which Republicans saw their Senate hopes dashed by a handful of far-right GOP nominees. “They are welcome to support the likes of Arlen Specter, Charlie Crist and David Dewhurst. We will continue to proudly support the likes of Pat Toomey, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz,” said Club For Growth spokesman Barney Keller. How the GOP establishment deals with less-electable primary challengers is one of the biggest open questions for 2014, a year when the map favors Republicans. http://politi.co/11LQyhM

SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE – LINDSEY GETS A CHALLENGER? Sen. Lindsey Graham, a moderate Republican who’s considered a top target for a conservative challenger in 2014, may have his first opponent in state Sen. Lee Bright. Speaking with CNN on Monday, Bright said his chances of running are “definitely better than 50 percent” and that he’s been in conversations with donors and supporters about a potential campaign. "Right now it's a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party, and I think the lines are clearly drawn," Bright said. "You have people like Ted Cruz and Rand Paul on one side, and people like Graham and Mitch McConnell on the other." Several other top Republicans in the state, including Reps. Joe Wilson and Mick Mulvaney, ruled out runs against Graham last year. http://bit.ly/USWZjw

GEORGIA SENATE – REED, WESTMORELAND BOW OUT: Two candidates are out and one is in for the race to replace retiring Sen. Saxby Chambliss in Georgia. Kasim Reed, the Democratic mayor of Atlanta and one of Democrats’ most-mentioned prospects in the race, said Monday he’s not interested in running for Senate. On the Republican side, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland also said he’s not planning a statewide run at this point. But one GOP congressman, Rep. Paul Broun, will reportedly announce his candidacy this week. Still in the mix on the GOP side: Reps. Phil Gingrey, Tom Graves and Jack Kingston, among others, all of whom have said they’re interested in the race but haven’t made a final decision either way. http://bit.ly/12ojNMr

NEW JERSEY SENATE – LAUTENBERG’S SMALL WAR CHEST RAISES QUESTIONS: Frank Lautenberg, the 89-year-old New Jersey Senator who hasn’t announced yet whether or not he’ll run again in 2014, raised just $11,000 in the fourth quarter of last year, per FEC reports. He has $182,000 in his campaign war chest as of Dec. 31. Lautenberg has self-funded his campaigns in the past so a small war chest certainly doesn’t discount him – he’s made seven-figure investments in past campaigns. But in the wake of Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s very overt steps toward challenging Lautenberg, and Lautenberg’s own silence on his political future, the small number doesn’t show a whole lot of attention to his reelection campaign at this point. http://bit.ly/USTuto

MORE IN THE GARDEN STATE – GERALDO FOR SENATE? Geraldo Rivera, the Fox News Radio host, has said he’s “truly considering” a run for Senate in New Jersey in 2014. "Fasten your seatbelt," Rivera said on his show. "I've been in touch with some people in the Republican Party in New Jersey." It’s unclear how likely a Rivera candidacy is, or how serious a campaign he’d run if he entered the race. http://bit.ly/11NVin7

FLORIDA GOVERNOR – SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE GREER TRIAL: As Florida gears up for the trial of former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer, the Tampa Bay Times looks at what the trial means for 2014: “Some think Gov. Rick Scott would like a drawn-out drama just in case something falls on former Gov. Charlie Crist, a potential 2014 opponent who hired Greer and is listed as a witness for both sides. Scott is about the only Republican in town who had nothing to do with the party before he was elected in 2010 and it's likely he has never met Greer. … Some Republicans, particularly lobbyists who are entangled in the drama as witnesses, just want it all to end.” http://bit.ly/12oAEPd

RESIGNATION SHAKES UP NEBRASKA GOV. RACE: “[Lt. Gov. Rick] Sheehy made more than 2,300 calls on a state-issued cell phone to four women, other than his wife, over the past four years. One of the women told the newspaper that she had had an affair with the lieutenant governor since 2008. Sheehy abruptly resigned Saturday morning…Sheehy, a 53-year-old former mayor of Hastings, was the presumed front-runner in the 2014 race for the Republican nomination for governor. His exit throws that race wide open. Some say it gives the Democratic Party a chance to grab a post it hasn’t held since 1999. The departure has also left vacant the lieutenant governor’s job. Heineman said Monday he’s looking for a dedicated person to fill the post and one who will promise not to run for governor in 2014. He said he didn’t want to give an advantage to any GOP candidate in the 2014 primary.” http://bit.ly/12ox0Vj

2016 WATCH—

PAUL RYAN’S NEXT MOVE? Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen look this morning at Paul Ryan’s path forward – and the fact that he’s less interested in a 2016 bid than in gaining power in Congress. Still, they write, he’s building up a national network no matter what: “Ryan continues to cultivate a national political and financial network that would serve him in any role. A top GOP source said Ryan recently huddled with Spencer Zwick, Mitt Romney’s fundraising guru, who made plain much of the 2012 donor base stands ready to back him if he were to ever warm again to a White House run. Ryan also made a fundraising trip to Texas last month for his Prosperity PAC. He was hosted by top Romney donors who urged him to run, convinced he has been totally vetted and passed the readiness test.” http://politi.co/11NTH0y

JINDAL SAYS IT’S TOO EARLY: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, an oft-mentioned 2016 prospect himself, said Monday that it’s far too early for Republicans to be talking about 2016. “Anybody on the Republican side even thinking or talking about running for president in 2016, I’ve said needs to get their head examined and the reason I say that is we’ve lost two presidential elections in a row. We need to be winning the debate of ideas — then we’ll win elections,” Jindal said on Fox News. “The country doesn’t need four years of non-stop presidential — we just inaugurated a new term of this president’s second term.” http://politi.co/USZZw8

KASICH ACCEPTS OBAMACARE FUNDING: Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who’s up for reelection in 2014 and could be a 2016 presidential prospect, angered conservative Republicans when he decided to accept the Medicaid expansion called for in President Obama’s health care plan. “I, as all of you know, am not a supporter of Obamacare,” Kasich said Monday. “But I think this makes great sense for the state of Ohio.” The decision by Kasich, who’s known as one of the most conservative governors in the country, has come as a surprise to conservatives around the country, given the fact that other governors (and ’16 prospects) like Rick Perry in Texas and Bobby Jindal in Louisiana have turned down the funding. http://politi.co/USWF47

RICK PERRY is airing 30-second radio spots in six California markets inviting businesses to relocate to Texas. Listen: http://bit.ly/12ox33r